David Welch’s Proposition Analysis

David is Chair of the Democratic Action Club of Chico

This is my personal take on these measures, but mostly tracks the recommendations of the state and Local Democratic Party.

Local Measures A through G: A variety of school bond measures for local school districts in Butte County. You'll only see the one for the district you live in. Chico is Measure C. All of these are specifically for the building and/or renovation of school buildings and facilities. County Party recommends a YES on each of them.

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Local Measure H: A 1 % county sales tax. This is a YES out of necessity, despite some concerns about the regressive nature of sales taxes and the reliability of the Supervisors majority. Many factors contribute to the need for this, but the need is real and failure to pass would mean the loss of essential services. County Party recommends a YES.

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State Measures:

Note: The single digit measures were put on the ballot by the state legislature, the double digit ones by signature gathering.

Prop 2: School bond. State party says YES. I agree.

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Prop 3: Right to Marry. The easiest YES of any of them. Prop 8 that banned same sex marriage in California is still on the books. If the Supreme Court were to rescind the national right to marry, Prop 8 would be back in effect. Past time to get rid of it.

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Prop 4: Authorizes bond issuance to fund the fight against climate change and to cope with climate related disasters such as wildfires. State party says YES

 

Prop 5: Would lower the vote requirement for certain local taxes to 55%. State party says YES and I agree. Makes the process more democratic.

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Prop 6: Ends forced work in prisons. Inmates are still allowed to do paid work, but could not be forced to. State party says YES. My note: When the 13th amendment ended slavery in this country, it retained an exception for slavery as punishment for a crime. Prison time should be focused on education and real job training, not slave labor.

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Proposition 32: Increases the California minimum wage to $18/hour and adds annual inflation adjustments. Even $18 isn't enough to live with any decency in California. State party says yes and I agree.

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Proposition 33: Repeals the "Costa/Hawkins Rental Housing Act", which bans certain kinds of local rent control ordinances. Contrary to what opposing ads are sure to say, the proposition does NOT enact any form of rent control. It does allow local jurisdictions - cities and counties - to do so if they wish. Rent control is a complex issue. It absolutely can be done wrong and create real problems, but it also can be done right. Local jurisdictions can make different choices based on local conditions and should be free to do so. State party says YES. Note: The main sponsor of this proposition is the "AIDS Healthcare Foundation" -which has sponsored past attempts to repeal Costa/Hawkins. You'll see why that matters in the next proposition.

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Proposition 34: Would require healthcare organizations that participate in a federal discount drug program to spend 98% of revenue on direct patient care. It seems reasonable enough. But there is more: The specifications of the proposition are such that it would only apply to one organization. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, sponsors of Proposition 33. And, the sponsor of this proposition is the Apartment Owners Association. Hmm. So the apartment owners are tired of fighting attempts to repeal Costa/Hawkins and put this on the ballot to silence an organization that has been a nuisance to them. Regardless of what you think of the particular policy issues, using the initiative process for that kind of retribution is not something we should support. The state party was unable to come to consensus on a recommendation on this, but I would say NO for that reason alone.

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Proposition 35: This one is really complex and is, in my opinion, the kind of issue that should never be on the ballot for voters but resolved in the give and take of the legislative process. There are people I Like on both sides of it and the nuances are hard to grasp. Synopsis: California levies a tax on managed care organizations (MCOs} to fund help Medi-Cal and some other health services. That tax is due to expire in 2026. Presumably, it would be re-authorized by the legislature, but proponents of this measure decided not to wait. This measure would continue the tax indefinitely (depending on federal action to approve that} AND it would also Lock in strict rules about how the money could be spent. While that can be interpreted as protecting health care spending against raids by the legislature, it also takes away any flexibility in the allocation of the money and would potentially eliminate certain specific programs not in the allocation formula. It's supported by BOTH major parties, the California Medical Association, the insurance industry and the hospital industry. That sounds good. But Governor Newsom is opposed to it. Other notable opponents include California League of Women Voters, California Alliance of Retired Americans, and Courage California. Again, things this complex should not be on the ballot. I will personally vote no but don't have a strong recommendation.

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Proposition 36: OPPOSE This is being sold as a "treatment" measure, but it is much more of a punishment measure. In the 1980s and '90s, concerns about crime Levels led to big increases in lengths of sentencing and an intensely punitive approach to even fairly minor crimes. People with prior criminal histories were sentenced to Life for relatively minor thefts. Prison populations soared, especially among black and brown people, prison costs went up, and prison overcrowding led to successful civil rights suits against the state. Over time, Liberals and conservatives both came to see this mass incarceration as inhumane, wasteful and ineffective. In 2014, Californians passed Prop. 47, which re-classified thefts of less than $950 and simple possession of illegal drugs as misdemeanors. Prop 36 would reverse much of that with increased penalties, more felony convictions, more prison costs, and take money away from programs like job training for people exiting prison. It talks about mandating treatment for certain drug crimes, there is already a shortage of treatment available and this would make that worse. It seems to me like the "treatment" part is mostly a mirage. The measure is supported by the Republican Party, police and sheriffs, district attorneys, and some big businesses. Opposed by Democratic Party, ACLU, League of Women Voters.

 

David based his recommendations on his research with sources such as LWV, Sierra Club, ACLU, CARA, FCL.CA, CADEM and the local Democratic Party.